11 Tennessee Lakeside Restaurants Serving Outstanding Food And Scenic Views
Tennessee’s lakes deliver more than peaceful water and mountain reflections. They also host restaurants where great cooking meets wide-open shoreline scenery.
Boat docks, breezy patios, and dining rooms facing sparkling water create experiences that feel like mini holidays without leaving the state. Visitors and locals alike gather to enjoy hearty Southern favourites, fresh seafood, and sweet desserts while watching boats drift across calm coves and glowing sunsets.
This collection highlights lakeside spots that combine dependable flavors with memorable settings across Tennessee. Each destination pairs welcoming hospitality, consistent quality, and relaxing views that encourage guests to slow down, stay awhile, and savor every bite beside the water during leisurely Tennessee afternoons.
1. Terrace View Marina And Restaurant
Watts Bar Lake sets the perfect backdrop at Terrace View Marina And Restaurant, tucked along 165 Terrace View Dr in Spring City. The dining room opens to the docks, so you can watch pontoons nose into their slips while a soft wake taps the pilings.
Grab a rail table outside and you will feel the marina soundtrack wrap around you, part laughter, part gulls, all easygoing lake rhythm.
The menu leans into timeless comfort, and the kitchen knows how to treat fresh fish with care. Crispy fillets arrive steaming, paired with bright slaw and a squeeze of lemon, while burgers stack high and seem engineered for post-cruise hunger.
You might catch a breeze that carries the scent of grilled seafood, nudging you to linger for another round of iced tea.
As the sun dips, that wide water turns bronze, and the string lights blink on above the deck. It feels like a little celebration of shore life, casual and unhurried.
Whether you slip in straight from the boat or drive over the ridgeline, this marina table gives you the views you came for and food that keeps you smiling.
2. Lakeside Tavern (Concord Marina)
At 1401 Concord Marina Dr in Knoxville, Lakeside Tavern orients every table toward Fort Loudoun Lake’s calm cove. The terrace feels like a front row seat to gentle wakes and glossy reflections, with umbrellas nodding in the breeze.
Indoors, tall windows pull in light that flickers off the water, creating that polished yet relaxed marina mood.
Here, classic American fare gets careful execution without fuss. Think grilled steaks with char that smells like summer, salads layered with fresh textures, and seafood that benefits from straightforward seasoning.
Pizzas arrive crisp at the edges, the kind you can share while pointing out passing sailboats.
As twilight deepens, the cove switches to mirror mode and string lights paint soft halos across tabletops. Service moves smoothly, keeping conversation effortless and unhurried.
If you time it right, you will catch rowers sliding by in formation, their oars ticking like a metronome. Between warm hospitality and that rolling shoreline, Lakeside Tavern turns an ordinary dinner into a Knoxville memory you will replay each time you see the marina glitter from the parkway.
3. The Yacht Club At Tellico Village
In Loudon at 150 Yacht Club Dr, The Yacht Club At Tellico Village raises the bar on lakeside elegance. The terrace floats above Tellico Lake, offering long views across smooth channels and bobbing masts.
Inside, vaulted ceilings and polished wood lend a classic club atmosphere that still feels welcoming to travelers seeking a memorable meal with a view.
The kitchen favors refined comfort, plating seafood with bright citrus notes and careful sautés, while steaks land with confident grill marks and a whisper of smoke. Seasonal produce shows up in colorful sides that taste like East Tennessee farms.
You can sip something cool while the marina settles into its evening cadence, a gentle chorus of rigging and distant laughter.
Sunset turns the water copper and the nearby hills dusky blue, an irresistible cue to slow your fork and savor. Service is attentive without hovering, which makes lingering over dessert feel like part of the plan.
For special occasions or a spontaneous lakeside detour, this Tellico Village perch blends scene and cuisine so gracefully you will check the calendar for reasons to return.
4. Springs Dock & Resort Restaurant
Springs Dock & Resort Restaurant on 1652 Alder Springs Rd in La Follette sits right on Norris Lake, where floating docks creak softly underfoot. Grab a table on the deck and you can trail your fingers in the water between bites.
The vibe is pure lake weekend, with sunscreen in the air, wakeboard boats idling nearby, and music keeping spirits light.
Dock food classics shine here, from crunchy baskets to grilled favorites that taste like sunshine. Sandwiches deliver that satisfying heft after a long swim, and salads bring a cool snap when the afternoon heat swells.
You will want to time a round of something frosty with the parade of boats sliding in for fuel.
When a cloud drifts across the cove, the water flips from jade to steel and back to bright green in a blink. It is part of the show at this easygoing stop, where staff greet you like neighbors and the lake does the decorating.
Come salty, come barefoot, and come hungry, because this floating table is all about carefree Tennessee afternoons.
5. The Galley Grill And Bar (Sugar Hollow Marina)
Anchored at 610 Marina Ln in La Follette, The Galley Grill And Bar lives steps from the slips at Sugar Hollow Marina. The scene is lively, with fishermen swapping stories and kids darting along the planks.
From the shaded porch, Norris Lake glitters through a frame of forested hills, a reminder that this meal belongs to the water.
Plates are hearty and cheerful, think grilled chicken piled on toasted buns, fresh salads, and shareable baskets that disappear quickly. The kitchen keeps flavors bright and familiar, perfect for recharging after a morning on the coves.
You can hear a ski boat rev up while your order lands hot, which somehow makes everything taste even better.
As the afternoon leans toward evening, music drifts over the marina and the dock lights flicker awake. The vibe stays unpretentious and welcoming, like a neighborhood hangout with an unbeatable view.
Linger for the soft purple hush that settles on the water, and you will understand why so many boaters circle back to The Galley as their go to lakeside pit stop.
6. Sam’s Sports Grill (Blue Turtle Bay)
Sam’s Sports Grill at Blue Turtle Bay brings a lively marina buzz to 5011 Lawnville Rd in Old Hickory. The deck sits just above Old Hickory Lake, so game day roars mingle with the soft slap of waves against hulls.
Big screens glow under the pergola while a parade of pontoons drifts by like moving scenery.
The menu covers crowd pleasing favorites built for sharing and cheering. Wings snap with heat, sandwiches arrive stacked and ready for two hands, and fresh salads give a crisp counterpoint to the action.
You may look up from a perfectly grilled fillet to see the shoreline glowing, a reminder that this is not your average sports hangout.
As dusk settles, marina lights sprinkle the water with dancing reflections, and conversations stretch between tables. The staff moves with easy momentum, keeping refills steady and smiles quick.
Whether you pull up by boat or roll in with friends, Sam’s matches energy with waterfront ease, delivering that rare combination of lakeside calm and spirited good times on Old Hickory Lake.
7. The Restaurant At Paris Landing
Set within Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, The Restaurant At Paris Landing faces Kentucky Lake’s broad sweep of water and sky. The dining room frames the view with generous windows, and a soft marina breeze seems to find every corner.
It is the kind of place where families exhale after a day outdoors and couples lean closer as the water calms.
The kitchen leans classic, with plates that feel right after hiking, paddling, or cruising. You might choose a comforting roast or a fresh, simply seasoned fish, and find that each bite pairs beautifully with the slow roll of the lake.
Salads bring garden crunch, while desserts invite lingering as the shoreline folds into evening shadows.
Birds skim low across the surface, and a line of docks stretches into the distance like a quiet invitation. Service is warm and unhurried, which matches the park’s pace perfectly.
When you leave, the scent of pine follows you to the car, and you will already be planning a return meal timed with that golden Kentucky Lake light.
8. Lakeshore Grille, Chickamauga Lake
Perched at 491 Yacht Club Dr in Hixson, Lakeshore Grille rises just above Chickamauga Lake, catching every shimmer of sunset. The patio wraps around the building with lights twinkling as boats trace lazy lines back to their slips.
Through tall windows, you can watch water change colors with each passing cloud, a moving mural for dinner.
Food arrives polished yet comforting. Seafood is handled with care, steaks show off assertive sear, and seasonal sides bring a fresh accent that plays well with a glass raised to the horizon.
There is balance in every plate, the kind that lets conversation flow while flavors do quiet, confident work.
By dessert, the sky turns velvet and reflections stretch like ribbons across the cove. Service stays attentive, keeping the evening graceful and easy.
It is a favorite for date nights and gatherings because the setting does half the talking. Come for the view, stay for plates that reward attention, and leave with Chickamauga’s night lights stitched into memory.
9. Terrace View (Secondary Marina Spot)
Just down the docks at 171 Terrace View Dr in Spring City, the secondary Terrace View seating feels like a hideaway built for golden hour. It is closer to the waterline, where conversation rides on the gentle knock of hulls and the flicker of reflections on the planks.
Here, sunsets expand across Watts Bar Lake like a canvas unrolling slowly.
The kitchen shares the marina’s greatest hits, so you can expect crispy baskets, grilled plates, and easygoing sides that taste even better with toes almost touching the lake. Grab a stool by the rail and you will track boats sliding in with navigation lights winking.
The pace slows until forks move in time with waves.
It is a sweet spot for lingering over a final course or a last look at the cove. Staff glide between tables with neighborly ease, refilling drinks and trading quick lake reports.
When the string lights glow, the whole dock turns into a floating porch, ready to hold whatever stories your day on the water collected.
10. Winston’s Grill & Tap (Lake Access)
Winston’s Grill & Tap at 307 N Kentucky St in Kingston is a local favorite just a short hop from Fort Loudoun Lake. The patio catches hints of lake breeze while the interior pairs exposed brick with a cozy, lived in energy.
It feels like the kind of place where everyone watches the door for a friend they expect to see.
Plates lean hearty and craveable, from well grilled mains to fresh salads that punch above their weight. You can settle in with a sandwich that drips just enough to demand extra napkins, or go lighter and still feel satisfied.
The tap list backs it all up with a rotating cast that pairs neatly with game nights and low key evenings.
After dinner, it is easy to walk toward the water and watch the sky soften over the lake. Staff keep service brisk but friendly, which makes lingering for one more round feel natural.
Kingston’s steady charm hums in the background, and Winston’s slots into that rhythm like a welcoming front porch with better fries.
11. Gatliff’s Marina Grill (Chickamauga Lake)
Gatliff’s Marina Grill at 415 Gatliff Ferry Rd in Soddy Daisy lives inches from Chickamauga Lake, with dockside tables that catch every ripple. The setting blends rustic wood and lake sparkle, a simple formula that never fails.
From your chair, you can watch anglers swap spots with families in pontoons, all of them part of the evening’s easy choreography.
The kitchen keeps things approachable and satisfying. Grilled plates deliver smoke and sear, baskets arrive crisp and hot, and salads bring a cool crunch that plays well with the shoreline breeze.
You will probably take a beat between bites just to track a wake pushing across the cove like a moving glass pane.
Twilight invites second helpings and longer conversations as the water settles into silver. Staff check in with genuine care, topping off drinks and pointing out the best sunset angle.
By the time you stand, the deck feels like an old friend you promised to visit again soon. This is Chickamauga, bottled as a meal and poured with a smile.